Refrigerator



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Shet 1.

C. A. BLUHIVL. REFRIGERATOR Patented July 5, 1892.

7/iz7gssesz (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

O. A. BLUHM. REFRIGERATOR.

No. 478,080.. Patented July 5, 1892.

A 'IIIIIIIIIIIII .II/IMIII/ (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3. 0. A. BLUHM.

REFRIGERATOR. I No. 478,080. Patented July 5, 1892.

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v L "UNITED ST T ATENT CHARLES A. BLUHM, OF MICHIGAN CITY, INDIANA.

REFRIGERATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 478,080, datedlu ly 5 ig92.

Application filed March 21, 1892. Serial No. 425,653. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. BLUnM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Michigan City, in the county of La Porto and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Refrigerators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in refrigerators.

The object of my invention is to provide an efiicient and economical refrigeratorfor household and other uses which will be durable and readily kept clean and sweet and which is simple and may be economically manufactured.

The leading features of novelty embodied in the construction of my new refrigerater 1 are, first, two independent systems or means of air-circulation from the provision-chamber back to the ice-chamber, one taking the air from the top portion of the provisionchamber and leading from underneath the ice tank or chamber and the other taking the air from the bottom of the provision-chamber; second, means for delivering the air from the bottom'of the provision-chamber into the ice-chamber at the end thereof and for delivering the air taken from the top of the provision-chamber into the ice-chamber at the front and back of the ice-chamber through an opening in the cover; third, the particular construction and arrangement of the icerack and providing the same with drip-ridges over the central opening underneath the same;

fourth, the novel construction of the waterseal, the same being formed partlyiu the icechamber and partly on the under side of the said opening being surrounded by a raised rim or flange to prevent the water collecting on the bottom of the provision-chamber from flowing through said opening in connection with the drip ridges or trough on the bottom of the ice-rack and above said air-passage opening, so that the drip can flow-into the water seal at the end of said air-passage open- My invention consists in the novel 'construction and combinations of parts and devices embodied in the refrigerator herein shown and described.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a spective viewof my improved refrigerator.

part of this specification, Figure 1 is a per- Fig. 2 is a central vertical longitudinal sec tion. Fig. 3 is a central vertical cross-section. Fig. 4 is an enlarged horizontal section taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is an enlargement of the upper portion of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is an enlargement of part of Fig. 2. Fig. 7 is a detail perspective of one of the provisionracks. Fig. 8 is an enlarged detail section across the air-passage opening in the bottom of the provision-chamber.

In the drawings similar letters of reference indicate like parts in all the figures.

In the drawings the frame is shown to be composed of four upright posts A, each covered by outer upright casings A A the horiz'ontal side and end sills A A, and the intermediate side bars A A, which latter form the support for the ice-chamber, and the upper horizontal frame-bars A A and the upper and lower horizontal casings A A The upright casings A at each end of the refrigerator may also be considered as constituting a part of the frame.

B represents the outer Wall of the refrigerator, the same being preferably of wood and nailed or secured to the upright casings A, A and A and the horizontal casings A? A said casings having shoulders a to receive the boards forming said wall.

B is the second wall of the refrigerator, the same being preferably of wood and seroo . posts A and at the back to the upright fur 2 curedto the-u'pright posts A, horizontal sills or frame-pieces A A A A, said sill-posts and frame-pieces having grooves a to receive the boards of this second wall and leave a space between the same and said outer wall B to receive the non-conducting filling b, preferably of charcoal.

At the front side of the refrigerator the second wall B constitutes the inner wall of the refrigerator and is furnished with the inner sheet-metal lining b. At the top the wallsB and B are separated by the furring-stripsa' which are ecured tt'rthe upper frame-pieces 'A and to the horizontal casings A".

B is the third Wall of the refrigerator, the same being secured at the ends to the upright ring-strips a and horizontal furring-stripsa and the horizontal side bars A which arefurnished with shoulders or grooves a to receive the sarne. An air space or passage 5 is left between this wall B and the second j wall B atthe back and ends of the retrigerator. wall of the refrigerator and at the back and end-s is furnished with the sheet-metal lining 1).

C is the provision-chamber, and D is the ice-chamber above the provision-chamber. At the back and front sides the walls of the ice-chamberare formed by said walls B B but at the ends of the ice-chamber it has independent upright walls 13, separated from the walls B by upright fu rringa whichv forms an air-passage 1) between said walls B and B The bottom D of the icechamberis sup-- ported on the side bars A A, which are furnished with grooves a on their inner side to receive the bottom D The ice-chamber,bottom D is furnished with a sheet-metal liningd' on its-inner side. having an air-passage-openi ingdig surrounded by a vertical flange or rim (1 to prevent the water collecting'in the bottom of the ice-chamber from flowing through said opening in to the provision-chamber below. The air-passage opening 01 extends, also, through the bottom D of the ices-chamber, and it is preferably a long narrow opening located. about midway of the refrigerator and extending across the same. The bottom D of the refrigerator or its lining d is furnished with a cup, depression, or recess 01 to form the-fixed or immovable part of the-water seal-,the end of the drip-pipe E projecting: up through the bottom of this cup. This cup or water seal d is preferably located at the end of the airpassage opening d so that the inclined dripridge on the under side of the ice-rack, and which extends over the air-passage opening d toprotect the same from drip-,may deliver the water collecting thereon or therein directly into the well or cup 01 of the water sea F is the ice rack or pan form.ed,,preferably, of corrugated sheet metal, the corrugations f extending parallel to the, air-passage opening d". The ice-pan F is supported above the bot- This third wall B constitutes the inner tom of the ice-chamber D by the longitudinal bars F of the ice-rack, so as to leave an air space or passage (1 between the same and the bottom of the ice-chamber communicating with the central air-passage opening 0?.

f isthe inclined drip-ridge underneath the ice-rack and extending over the air-passage opening 01 The saddle for this inclined dripridge is preferably furnished with a supplemental notch f for the water to pass through. The drip-ridges fit in saddles f formed in the .slats or bars F. The longitudinal slats or bars F of the ice-rack are also furnished with notches f to receive the upright rim or flange d surrounding the air-passage opening d as is more clearly shown in Fig. 8.

Secured to the movable ice-rack F or to one of the bars F is an inverted cup d, which fits in the well or cup 61 and over the projecting 1 end of the drip-pipe E, so as to form the other or removablepart of the water seal.

The bottom or floor of the refrigerator has an outer wall G and an inner wall G, separated by furring-strips g, the space between 1 being filled with a non-conducting material g, and is provided with an inner sheet-metal 1 lining 9 v The inner Wall 13' of the refrigerator at its back, side, and ends does not extend down i quite to the floor, so as to leave an air space i or passage 19 between the lower edge of this wall B and the floor, and through which, air passage or opening the air-passage b commuinicates with the provision-chamber O at the bottom thereof. As the horizontal side bar A would form an obstruction in the air-pas sage b at the back side of the refrigerator, I furnish said side bar A with air-passages b through the same, which thus form a conff tinnation of the air space or passage b The air taken from the bottom of the provision-chamber 0 through the air-passage b l b is delivered into the ice-chamber I) through i openings or air-passages b At the ends of sages b are formed in or through the wall B l; the furring-strips a", and the end Walls B of the ice-chamber. These openings or air-passages b are located at or formed in or'through strips will thus prevent any communication ;which leads from the top of the provision.-

the ice-chamber.

It will be understood that the openings. or aiepassages b, which lead into the ice-chamher from the air-passage; b at the back side i of the refrigerator, are formed in and extend I only through the wall B The cover His secured by hinges h to the f top molding plate or strip A and has an outer wall H and an inner wall H separated from g each other by the casing or marginal frameplates- H and H of the cover.

The airspace or passage b leading from jbBtWBGll the continuous air-passage b 11 6 1 and the other-and independent air-passagebi :20

1 the refrigerator these openings or air-pasthe furring-strips a, so that said furringchamber and just underneath the bottom of 7 the top of the provision-chamber underneath the bottom of the ice-chamber at the two ends of the refrigerator, communicate with the air, space or passage h between the outer and inner walls of the cover, and which air-passage h leads into the ice-chamber D at the top thereof through the openings 71, at the front and back sides of the refrigerator, said open- 5 ings being formed by partially cutting away the furring or frame strips H of the cover.

The sheet-metal lining b of the provisionchamber at the ends thereof is furnished with internal projections or ribs 19 preferably formed by simple folds or corrugations in said sheet-metal lining to form supports or ledges upon which to rest the provision-racks. Intermediate supports forthe provision-trays are formed by cross-bars K, having a rib 7c, and which rest at the back on shoulders 10', attached to the inner wall of the refrigerator, and which at the front are secured to the upright post M of the door-frame. The provision racks or trays N each comprise two wooden rails N, furnished with cross-grooves or'saw-.

cuts n to receive the flanges n of the sheet- Inetal slats N These flanged sheet-metal slats should also be tacked to the rails N. An opening or air-passage n is formed in the middle of each provision -tray by omitting one of the slats N This opening or air-passage n permits the cold air from the ice-chamber to descend freely and centrally through the provision-chamber 0.

The doors 1 are or may be of any suitable construction and need no detailed description to enable them to be constructed by those skilled in the art.

I claim 1; In a refrigerator, the combination, with a provision chamber and an ice -chamber above said provision-chamber, of two independent systems of or passages for air-circulation, one leading from the top portion of the provision-chamber into the ice-chamber and the other leading from the bottom portion of the provision-chamber into the ice-chamber, substantially as specified.

' 2. In a refrigerator, the combination, with a provision -chamber and an icechamber above said provision-chamber, of two independent systems of or passages for air-circulation, one leading from the top portion of the provision-chamber into the ice-chamber and the other leading from the bottom portion of the provision-chamber into the ice-chamber,

said first-mentioned airspace or passage com municating with the provision-chamber at its bottom and leading into the ice-chamber and isaid second-mentioned air space or passage I communicating with the provision-chamber at its top and leading into said ice chamber, substantially as specified.

4. In a refrigerator having first and second walls with a non-conducting filling or packing between and an inner third wall with an air space or-passage between the same and said second wall, a provision-chamber, and an ice-chamber above said provision-chamber 8c and having a fourth or additional wall at its ends withan air space or passage between the same and said third wall of the refrigerator, said first-mentioned air space or passage communicating with the provision-chamber at its t bottom and leading into theice-chamber and said second-mentioned air space orpassage communicating with v the provision-chamber at its top and leading into said ice-chamber,

said third wall of the-refrigerator having an opening or air passage b at-its lower edge bef tween the same and the floor, substantially as specified. a i 5. In a refrigerator having first and second walls with a non-conducting filling or packing between and an inner third wall with an air space or passage between the same and ice-chamber above said provision chamber ends with an air space or passage between the same and said third wall of the refrigerator,

said first-mentioned air space or passage communicating with the provision-chamber at-its bottom and leading into the ice-chamber and said second-mentioned air space or passage communicating with the provision-chamber at its top and leading into said ice-chamber, said-third wall of the refrigerator having an opening or air-passage b at its lower edge besaid second wall, aprovision-chamber; and an I and having a fourth or additional wall at its 10c I to tween the same and the floor and leading into the ice-chamber through openings b extend"- ing through said third wall B said fourth wall B and an intermediate furring strip or block a, substantially as specified. L 6. In a refrigerator having first and second walls with a non-conducting filling or pack ing betweenand an inner third wall with an air space or passage between the same and said second wall, a provision-chamber, andan 1 2 o ice-chamber above said provision -chamber and having a fourth or additional wallat its leading into the ice-chamber through an air space orpassage b in'the cover, substantially as specified.-

7. In a refrigerator having firstand second walls with a non-conducting filling or packing between and an inner third wall with an air space or passage between the same and said second. Wall, a provision-chamber, and an icechamber above said provision-chamber and having a fourth or additional wall at its ends with an air space or passage between the same and said third wall of the refrigerator, sa d first-mentioned air space or passage communicating with the provision-chamber at its bottom and leading into the ice-chamber and said second-mentioned air space or passage communicating with the provision-- ends and back side thereof through openings b in the vertical walls of the ice-chamber, and sa1d last mentioned air space or passage b leading into the ice-chamber at the top and front side thereof through an air space or passage in the cover, substantially as specified.

8. In a refrigerator, the combination, with a provision-chamber and an ice chamber above said provision-chamber, of two independent systems of or passages for air-circulation, one, leading fro-m thetop portion of the provision-chamber into the ice-chamber and the other leading from. the bottom portion of the provision-chamber into the ice-chamber, said last-mentioned air-passage leading intothe ice-chamber through openings in the vertical walls thereof at the ends and back side, substantially as specified.

9. In a. refrigerator, the combination, with. a provision-chamber and an ice chamber above said provisionrchamber, of two independent systems of or passages for air-circulation, one leading from the top portion of the provision-chamber into the ice-chamber and the other leading from the bottom portion of the provision-chamber into the ice-chamber, said first-mentioned air-passage leading into the ice-chamber at the front side thereof through an air space or passage in the cover of the refrigerator,substantially as specified. 10. In a refrigerator having an ice-chamber and-an ice-rack in said chamber and a dripwith sheet-metal lining d, and an air-passage opening d through said bottom D said lining (1, having an upturned flange, or rim (i surrounding said opening, and an ice tank or pan F, having corrugations f, extending par- ;allel to said air-passage opening d substantially as specified.

12. In a refrigerator, the combination, with the provision-chambcr, of an ice-chamber D above the same, having bottom D furnished 5 with sheet-metal lining d, and anair-passage opening d through said bottom D said lining (1' having an upturned flange or rim d surrounding said opening, and an icetan-k or 'pan F, having corrugations f, extending parallel to said air-passage opening d and a dripsridgef, extendingunderneath said ice-pan and over said air-passage opening d substantially as specified.

13. In a refrigerator, the combination, with the provision-chamber, of an ice-chamber D above the same, having bottom D furnished with-sheet-metal lining d, and an air-passage opening 01 through said bottom D said lining 01 having an upturned flange or rim d Esurrounding said opening, and an ice tank or fpan. F, having corrugations f, extending parallel to said air-passage opening d and a dripridge f, extending underneath said ice-pan and'over said air-passage opening 01?. and a I water seal, depression, or cup 01 formed in the bottom of said ice-chamber at the end of said air-passage opening (1 substantially as specitied.

14. In a refrigerator, the combination, with racks or trays N, having rails N, furnished with cross-grooves n, and metal slats N havin g flanges n, fittin g in said cross-groovessaid racks having air-passage openings-n through the same, substantially as specified.

15. The provision rack or tray for refrigerators, consisting in a pair of wooden rails N, furnished with cross-grooves n in their upper faces, and, metal slats N, having flanges, or turned edges n, titting in said cross-grooves n, substantially as specified.

16. In arefrigcrator, the combination, with the walls B 13', having non-conducting filling 17 between, of a third wall 13", having an airspace 1) between it and said wall B, an intermediate side frame-piece A having openings 12 through the same, and a provisionchamber and ice-chamber, both communicatingwith said air-passage 6 substantially as specified.

CHAS. A. BLUHM.

Witnesses:

FRED KRENTZ, HENRY H. BLUHM. 

